Freshman Keshaudas Spence (Dorchester, MA) took home his first Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week honor after running for 129 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Pioneers 24-21 homecoming win over Dartmouth. Spence broke a 14-14 deadlock early in the third quarter with a 29 scoring dash, breaking several tackles along the way. The 5-10 running back's performance also earned him the nod as the Enterprise Rent-A-Car/Sacred Heart student-athlete of the week.

Spence came up huge in both the first and last drives of Sacred Heart's first victory of 2011. He was responsible for 49 of the 60 yards gained on the Pioneers' opening drive of the game, which was capped by a four-yard scoring surge from the freshman. The NEC rookie of the week helped SHU chew up 7:50 of the fourth quarter, carrying eight times during a 17-play, 74-yard drive that ended on a go-ahead 22-yard field goal with 1:00 left in regulation. Spence's awareness saved the game late as he fell on a fumbled snap on the five yard line just seven seconds before the game winning field goal.

The Sacred Heart freshman and the rest of the Pioneers return to action for their first road game this weekend, traveling north to face-off with the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils.